Arbitration on agenda for meeting with doctors this month: Finance

Finance Minister Charlene Johnson is promising to talk binding arbitration with the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA) at a meeting May 16, a spokeswoman said.

Finance Minister Charlene Johnson. — Telegram file photo

As The Telegram has reported, the terms of reference for binding arbitration — which would kick in if there is no deal after a year of official talks — have not been drafted.

The right to binding arbitration was won in the last memorandum of agreement, which expired Sept. 30.

The doctors and the province struck the deal for the 2009-13 agreement in late 2010.

In a letter from the president to its membership posted on the NLMA website this week, Dr. Yordan Karaivanov noted the NLMA won’t begin negotiations on a new agreement until the generic terms of reference for arbitration are ready.

“Despite numerous attempts, the NLMA has been unable to engage government in a discussion to finalize the binding arbitration procedures,” Karaivanov said in the letter.